it is thursday january 7th. coming up on "early today." power ball is now a whopping 675 million and growing. the birther argument gains political capital as vice president biden reveals a major regret of his career. >> have you seen this women? the fbi joins the hunt for the female jewelry thief. >> plus more reaction from the white house and around the globe on north korea's nuclear test. >> investors are running for cover as china's market is having a huge impact here at home. and. >> king james inspiring to new

heights. >> good morning. i'm gigi stone woods. no generajackpot winner last ni. it is the sixth largest prize ever offered in north america. that means the jackpot will roll over to an estimated $675 million and growing for saturday's drawing. it will be the largest jackpot in u.s. history. if you do win, do the installments. too many cautionary tales out there. and the chinese stock market continues to bring down markets in the u.s. cnbc's landon dowdy has the latest. >> that's right. there could be a lot more red arrows today due to the turmoil in china. for the second time this week trading was halted as the stock markets tumble for more than 7%

triggering automatic circuit breakers. gradually withdrawing emergency measures imposed in june. and the european markets and asia today. and also oil prices off another 5% this morning to levels not since the early 2000s. and macy's is cutting jobs and closing stores after reporting abysmal holiday sales. about 2700 cuts are store employees. macy's blames warm weather which discouraged sales of winter clothes and the strong dollar. thanks landon dowdy. right now another storm is hammering parts of california with soaking rains, filling roadways with flood water and mud. rain is much needed in the west and is triggering major problems across the state.

>> reporter: in southern california, heavy rain turned freeways into waterways. cars and trucks navigated the high water. more than 19 million californians face the threat of severe weather. near san diego a woman had to be rescued from her car, while one man traveled by paddle board. 911 has been swamped. >> they are taking on heavy volume of calls. >> mud slides, hills have started to erode and threaten home in other communities. >> we've done a lot of preparation. there is a whole bunch of sandbags around the house. >> and strong enough winds to pull back roofs. >> this big thunk and we heard like moving around. >> in northern california snow. drivers have been warned to be careful and prepared. >> have a full tank of gas in case you get stranded, extra

blankets and food. you never know. >> the warm water has whipped up steady stream of storms moving west to's. and there is more to come. forecasters say there may not be a break in the weather until friday. and another storm system could arrive this weekend. nbc news. >> for the first time after dozens of unsuccessful attempts congress has sent an obamacare repeal bill to the desk. the president has made it clear he'll veto. but is this still a victory for republicans. >> they certainly think it is. and they have tried and failed many times to get this on his desk. now they have done it. the question becomes once he vetoes this bill, where do we go from here? >> the motion is adopted. >> reporter: republicans are celebrating after finally sending the president an ultimatum, a bill to repeal

obamacare. >> this marks a significant step in the fight for patient centered healthcare for all americans. >> democrats call it political theater and a waste of time. >> everybody knows this will take about a nanosecond for the president to veto. >> exercising your constitutional right in power to lenlt is never wasted if you are fighting for principles you believe? >> reporter: the bill also -- millions from planned parenthood after -- >> people have waited for years for this moment to destroy a bill to put 22 million people out of reach of medical care. >> there don't appear to be enough votes in either the house or the senate to over ride the president's veto. >> ultimately this is going to require a republican president. >> republicans are promising to outline a replacement health plan by the end of the year. but even if they do, the chances

they will the actually get a final vote done is unlikely. >> the birther issue is back. ted cruz is once again defending himself about whether he actually is eligible to run for president. his mother is an american citizen, that makes cruz one too. most legal experts agree with this. it makes cruz a natural born citizen as required by the constitution. trump has used the argument before you remember against obama. that is why it was called ironic that gop voters could eventually nominate cruz but it is not just democrats. john mccain was born in the u.s. territory of ban ma. >> it is a u.s. military base. that is different from being

born on final soil. i'm not a constitutional scholar on that. but i think it is worth looking into. i don't think it is illegitimate to look into it. >> a big topic of discussion at a nevada party dinner hosted by the senate minority leader. >> insulting each other won't solve anything. you cannot make our country great by tearing our people down. >> there is one democrat who wishes he were up on the stage, vice president joe biden. talking to our nbc affiliate in connecticut. >> i regret it every day but it was the right decision for my family and for me. and i plan on staying deeply involved. and we've got two good candidates. >> the next republican debate is one week from tonight. rising doubt about north korea's claim to have a detonated a hydrogen bomb.

most experts say the explosion simply wasn't large enough. early estimates put the power at a few kilotons. compare that to the first u.s. test of a hydrogen bomb in 1952. it had 10.4 mega tons of power. about a thousand times more powerful. suggesting possibly they detonated a smaller bomb with a small amount of hydrogen gas. north korea is the only country that's tested a nuclear bomb since 1998. yesterday ban ki-moon condemned the test saying inings violati.

and -- sickened 18 workers and spread to 189 customers. the investigation is the first related to food borne illness of the chain. it later saw an e. coli outbreak across 12 states last fall. chipotle has declined comment but said it would offer full cooperation. as, you know, the company's december sales fell 30% after this. its stock has dropped to a two year low. authorities meanwhile are hunting for a brazen beast who is shocking investigators. she's been robbing jewelry stores for the past nine months and here is what's interesting. as you can see. she doesn't bother wearing a mask or disguise. she even looks into the security cameras. only wears gloves. and they haven't caught her yet. since april she's centriostoleny

worth $6 million. now police are looking for this man. he's believed to be her accomplice. and stores throughout the south are on alert. they are offering $10 thousand for her capture. have a feeling it won't be long. >> how did they not catch her already? i guess she looks kind of generic but interesting. >> oh she is a bold beast. >> yesterday was fascinating. around san diego. last night some tornado warnings. pretty interesting stuff. we had two tornados. one confirmed, one other spotted. one was north of holster was confirmed to be a weak ef-3 tornado. the next storm is far out there for the weekend. this will be saturday night and

mostly northern california. rain showers will linger today. snowfall decreases in the sierra also. on friday calmer. the next round friday night into saturday and rainfall amounts 1-2 inches in northern california. the flash flood watches are going to expire around 11:00 a.m. this morning near san diego but the mountainous areas of arizona and new mexico are going to get and then a break this afternoon. the mountains in.5 not so lucky. they are going to get some significant snow. >> thank you. >> little bit of a break. >> we can use it. they can use it. >> the latest controversy from the ten commandments judge. and this one might be a big

problem for him. plus going beyond the galaxy. "star wars" goes where no one has gone before. no movie anyway. ity-defying... adventure-collecting... friend-connector... fortifying the going-places... off-to-the-races... day-seizing... you. you're strong. and we're here to help you stay that way. new special k nourish. multi grain flakes with quinoa, apples, almonds and raspberries. new special k nourish. fortify. it's winter.

eat winter snacks. freshman. campbell's. made for real, real life. iit's just a cough.ur cough, you'd see how often you cough all day and so would everyone else. new robitussin 12 hour delivers fast, powerful cough relief that lasts up to twelve hours. new robitussin 12 hour cough relief. because it's never just a cough. i'm lmy bargain detergent shift couldn't keep up.ter. so i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated so i get a better clean. 15% cleaning ingredients or 90%. don't pay for water, pay for clean. that's my tide. resoroc® retinol.eads it's up to two times stronger than imitators try roc® retinol correxion® night cream... after one week, fine lines appear to fade one month, deep wrinkles look smoother... and after one year, skin looks ageless. only from roc®.

we're back with some breaking news right now. rescue crews are working to save 13 minors still trapped in an elevator more than 70 stories below ground in upstate new york. a salt mine north of ithaca. the workers were just starting their shifts when the elevator got stuck 775 feet down a shaft. workers brought in a crane. four minors have already been brought up. no one was injured the company says. emergency responders have given them a radio and supplies. we'll update with the latest on the story as it continues to come in. to quebec, a dramatic fire

where a boy and his parents had to escape from their apartment. this 10-year-old was lowered down and his parents jumped out afterwards onto the snow. they both remain in the hospital are for treatment. now ordered state judges to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. morris says the decision last june only explicitly strikes down in kentucky tennessee ohio and michigan. and last month the supreme court upheld the ban. >> a court that enters an order it must be -- >> legal analysts expect it will be overturned. is it state trooper who arrested sandra bland has been indicted for perjury for lying

in his police report. he's also been fired. her family will hold a press conference at 9:00 central time this morning. "star wars" is the highest grossing domestic movie ever. in just 20 days it surpassed the previous record of 760 million dollars held by avatar. just had the ax falls another head coach. while a big name is staying put. and a pair of legends making a march to cooperstown. your immune system works hard to keep you on top of your game. you can support it by eating healthy, drinking fluids, and getting some rest. and you can combine these simple remedies with airborne. no other leading immunity brand gives you more vitamin c. plus it has a specially crafted blend of 13 vitamins, minerals and herbs. so when you want to support your immune system, take airborne,

and enjoy living well. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. neutrogena®. to visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. but once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it. i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. you are free to go. tide and downy together. your hair is still thinning. you may have inactive follicles. reactivate them with women's rogaine® foam. the only once a day treatment proven to regrow new hairs up to 48% thicker.

revive your va-va-voom. and save $10.

this morning on today, actor leonardo dicaprio sits with savannah guthrie to discuss his new frontier survival film "the rev nant" which may finally earn him an academy award. he doesn't have one? >> good morning gigi. they are headed for the hall. seattle saluted ken griffey, jr. who was voted into the hall of fame getting 447 out of 450 votes.

congratulations. lebron james credits his 34 points and ten rebounds to being motivated by cancer survivor leah still. devon still posted these images overnight. perfect 21-at ho0 at home for t spurs. tampa bay has fired love i have smi that is sports. gigi back to you. >> just ahead, janet jackson reveals some very personal news

about her health. and the stars were auto. winners losers, and a few controversial moments as always. e money on your medicare part d prescriptions, walgreens says, carpe med diem. seize the day to get more out of life and medicare part d. just switch to walgreens for savings that'll be the highlight of your day. now preview the cost of your copay before you fill. you can even get one-dollar copays on select plans. people can forget their quiltbathroom experience. well but sir froggy can never forget. "what's worse", he thinks... "that my arms can never relax or my eyes can never look away?" ♪ advil pain relievers are used by more households than any other leading brand. to treat their aches and pains more people reach for advil.

relief doesn't get any better than this. advil. no...you know when i got sick my mom used to make me chicken noodle soup. aw, ok... you should call your mom. bye. campbell's chicken noodle soup. there when no one else is. campbell's. made for real, real life. but zzzquil is different have pain medicine because why would you take a pain medicine when all you want is good sleep? zzzquil: a non-habit forming sleep-aid that's not for pain, just for sleep. iand quit a lot,t but ended up nowhere. now i use this. the nicoderm cq patch, with unique extended release technology, helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. i want this time

to be my last time. that's why i choose nicoderm cq. hey, that's lactaid.milk! right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can drink all you want... ...with no discomfort? exactly. here, try some... mmm, it is real milk. see? delicious. hoof bump! oh. right here girl, boom lactaid®. 100% real milk. no discomfort and for a creamy and delicious treat, try lactaid® ice cream janet jackson publicly denied news yesterday that she has cancer.

>> the people's choice awards honored several class acts. honorees found they had to share the stage with a yet to be identified guest. >> we think of ourselves as kind of the odd balls of tv. we say we're like a motley crew. >> uh-uh. uh-uh. my. >> my name is ricardo -- >> you ain't gonna pull no steve harvey up in here. >> dakoda johnson accepted the award for favorite dramatic actress. a little on stage drama of her own with a dress malfunction. >> leslie just broke my dress. okay. well it is not like anybody here hasn't already seen my hey peter. (unenthusiastic) oh... ha ha ha!

joanne? is that you? it's me... you don't look a day over 70. am i right? jingle jingle. if you're peter pan, you stay young forever. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, 13w50i7b it's what you do. ♪ you make me feel ♪ so spring has sprung. but grandmcause we uses we don't charmin ultra soft.clean. charmin ultra soft gets you clean without the wasteful wadding. it has comfort cushions you can see that are softer and more absorbent, and you can use up to 4 times less. enjoy the go with charmin. your hair is still thinning. you may have inactive follicles. reactivate them with women's rogaine® foam. the only once a day treatment proven to regrow new hairs up to 48% thicker. revive your va-va-voom. and save $10.

leading the news in the l.a. times, dakota meyer filed for joint custody of bristol palin's baby. former fiancé to bristol palin is seeking joint custody. the couple abruptly called off their maine nuptuals a week before their wedding. from nbc sacramento, california issues more than 600 thousand driver's licenses to immigrants. to get a listens they must pass written and driver tests and prove residency. the law improves because many

are driving without training or insurance. and yesterday, a massive gas leak displaced,0 ed thousands i angeles. the leaking well released methane and odors that left those with nosebleeds, headaches and other systems. that is scary. also in los angeles, the county district attorney's offense declined to file charges against bill cosby. one of the allegations claimed the actor drugs and assaulted her in 2008 at the playboy mention. cosby has consistently denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. >> three minnesota brothers take advantage of the winter weather every year. they started working just before thanksgiving, putting in about

400 human resourours of work. >> looks so perfect. >> anyone who tried to build a snowman knows how amazing that feat is. >> and a scuba diverer found this 126-year-old beer at the bottom of the ocean in canada. they said it was okay. they can taste everything from cherry to sulfur. marks suggest it was made between 1882 and 1890. now the national oceanic and atmospheric administration releasing its year in review. extreme weather events from 2015 that cau . and happy birthday out there. i'm gigi stone woods. thanks for watching "early

today."

a case of cops and one robber who is on the run this morning in his luxury car after holing up the 7-eleven. the person you should trust the most accused of the worst of crimes at an east bay school. san jose soggy. the rain continues through the week, but "today in the bay" starts right now. happy thursday morning to you, thanks for joining us. i'm scott mcgrew. sam brock has the day off. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. let's check the forecast with meteorologist kari hall. good morning. >> good morning. still soggy across the bay area and a little bit of rain still lingers and for the most part we're getting a chance to dry out. scattered showers just to the west of us that will be rolling in off and o